GM extends its 60-day satisfaction guarantee

Howie Long and the Honda mower: GM is pushing ahead with head-to-head comparisons in its ads.

DETROIT -- General Motors Co. will be extending its 60-day satisfaction guarantee program as part of a continuation to its “May the Best Car Win” advertising campaign.

GM started the program on Sept. 13. It was supposed to end Nov. 30 but now will run to Jan. 4.

“It's been very successful, and the third phase of the advertising campaign will launch in magazines due on shelves in December,” says Ryndee Carney, GM spokeswoman. “They feature head-to-head comparisons of our vehicles versus our competitors.”

GM will launch similar digital advertising starting in early December.

The first print ad to run will compare the Chevrolet Malibu sedan to the Toyota Camry.

“The one thing that makes our vehicle more competitive is the 60-day satisfaction guarantee,” Carney says.

Since the program began, GM has sold about 142,000 new vehicles, says Susan Docherty, GM's vice president of U.S. sales. Of those, 449 customers opted for the 60-day satisfaction guarantee while the others took a cash incentive, she says. Of the 449, four have returned their vehicles, and 49 people have filed paperwork to return their vehicles but have not yet done so. The satisfaction guarantee offers customers their money back if they follow a strict set of rules that they have agreed to at signup.

The four vehicles returned were a Chevrolet Equinox crossover, Malibu sedan, Tahoe SUV and Silverado pickup.